Generally speaking, I'm over apocalyptic horror. While favorites such as 28 Days Later along with the initial episodes from The Walking Dead proved enjoyable, the genre seems largely exhausted nowadays. Even the highly anticipated 28 Years Later has been sitting on my to-watch queue for months. But, the platform's new Southeast Asian horror film, The Elixir, managed to defy what I anticipated and proved quite enjoyable.
Impressive Pacing and Character Development
One of the film's strongest strengths lies in the superb pacing. It begins with a memorable opening sequence in which a calm family party gets suddenly disrupted when a vehicle plows right into the guest area. Out of the van, a very undead-looking individual emerges proceeding assaulting the partygoers. This intense scene is then followed by a look back, giving viewers to see this household before the disaster occurred.
Unlike many undead movies, The Elixir truly allows the audience sufficient time to get to know its main characters before the chaos begins. There's Nes, a wife and mother whose ex best friend, Karina, is now wed to Nes' father—an obviously awkward dynamic. This has understandably led to a falling out between Nes and Karina. We also see Nes' brother, Bang, who is good-natured yet socially awkward, and he enjoys playing video games with Nes' young son, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, seems to have lately been unfaithful to her. This household head is Nes' father, who runs a popular natural medicine company named Wani Waras, and he seems to care about only two things: his work and his wife to his daughter's former best friend. Unsurprisingly, this family reunion is incredibly tense.
Invested in the Drama
I found myself so invested with this family's dynamics and their interpersonal drama to the point I almost overlooked I was watching a horror film—which might seem like a negative, yet ultimately paid off. The Elixir spends a considerable portion of the film to showing us who each family member represents, and how they add to the general turmoil. This focus on clashing traits allowed me to relate to the personalities sufficiently to care about their outcome—a rare feat for this style that often presents characters just to eliminate them soon after. The Elixir doesn't treat its cast as flat, expendable casualties for an army of zombies to consume, thus it's a real surprise once events eventually go wrong.
Evocative of Parasite
The initial scenes of the party and the multiple household exchanges in fact bring to mind the movie Parasite, a story which disguises itself like a Korean drama featuring slightly dark humor before making a sudden turn toward "holy shit" territory. These introductory moments don't focus too heavily on humor as Parasite, but The Elixir still gives enough opportunity to immerse in the setting prior to everything gets upended.
Original Zombification Origin
This movie also offers a quite interesting reason regarding the origin of the spreading zombification. Instead of an accidental lab leak or a type of biological weapon, the source for this contagious disease stems from a new sample of Wani Waras natural medicines developed by her dad. Although we do learn a bit about how it started, it would have been better if the movie had spent a little more focus on how Wani Waras went from a trusted supplier of natural treatments to producing a deadly elixir that appears to contain an extremely infectious pathogen. Despite the limited background, the effect this affliction has on humans proves utterly disgusting, which I love it. The Elixir's undead are quick, bizarre in appearance, and, perhaps worst of all, constantly grinning. This represents a daring decision, but it works. The Elixir's practical effects and CGI also appear very realistic, and they're almost guaranteed to provoke a fear of holes.
Capable Characters
More impressive compared to the gross-out scenes are the characters themselves. Certainly, there are some examples of questionable decision-making (like any any good undead film), but generally, Nes and her family are inventive and quick-thinking. Additionally, they don't hesitate to strike a zombie in the head, stab it using a farm tool, or beat it over the head with the nearest blunt instrument they find instead of freezing like a deer caught in lights as death approaches.
Believable Family Strike
The Elixir doesn't drop its focus of familial discord when people start turning to the undead, this proved a pleasantly authentic deviation from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died I immediately pardon you for everything! cliché often seen in apocalyptic films. It's clear, Nes cares for her relatives and cares about her husband, Rudi, yet it's equally clear she's still holding onto bitterness over his betrayal of their marriage vows. Once the household gets separated, they agree over the phone to meet up at a nearby spot. But when Bang admits he doesn't know how to get there, Nes expresses an immense level of irritation on her brother which has obviously been brewing for years. Nes isn't perfect, and her relatives—flawed as it is—seem realistic and understandable since the movie avoids attempting to push the idea that a near-death experience instantly cures family tensions. This makes those instances when these characters do show appreciation toward one another seem far more genuine.
Stereotypical Conclusion
In spite of The Elixir's strong efforts to break new ground, the conclusion is admittedly somewhat stereotypical. The Elixir doesn't truly offering up some profound insight regarding relatives or society, as well. Instead, it's primarily delivering frights. Yet these are successful frights, and since the movie allows every personality sufficient space to develop and doesn't punish them for having flaws, the outcome proves an engaging and entertaining
